Apparently, even when you check out and move to the final internet frontier for the summer, people continue to do interesting things with their lives. Like my cousin, who popped out an adorable baby while I was away. I made this cake when they came to visit. It was not dairy or gluten free, Vanderblog, but it was absurdly delicious.
I (predictably) did not follow the recipe, but here it is for the gist. I added more flour in place of the almonds, nixed the espresso powder completely, and didn't worry so much about sticking to the finicky mixing process.Ingredients for cake and filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
12 T unsalted butter
2 t vanilla
1/4 t espresso powder
1 c sliced almonds
1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
5 large eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c raspberry jam, fresh raspberries for garnish
Ingredients for chocolate ganache:
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
Instructions
1. For the cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325 degrees.
2. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans with parchment paper.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
5. Stir in vanilla and espresso powder.
7. Process almonds until very finely ground, about 45 seconds.
8. Add flour and salt and continue to process until combined, about 15 seconds.
9. Transfer almond-flour mixture to medium bowl.
10. Process eggs in now-empty food processor until lightened in color and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
11. With processor running, slowly add sugar until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.
12. Fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture until some streaks of egg remain.
13. Slowly fold in flour-almond mixture.
14. Divide batter between cake pans and smooth with rubber spatula.
15. Bake until center is firm and toothpick inserted into center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 14 to 16 minutes.
16. Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes.
17. Run paring knife around sides of cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto wire racks.
18. For the filling: Coarsely mash 1/2 cup raspberries. Stir in raspberry jam.
19. Spread raspberry mixture onto one cake layer and top with second.
20. For the ganache: Melt chocolate and cream in medium heatproof bowl set over medium saucepan filled with 1 inch simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
21. Remove from heat and gently whisk until very smooth.
22. Pour glaze onto center of assembled cake.
23. Use offset spatula to spread glaze evenly over top of cake, letting it flow down sides.
24. Spread glaze along sides of cake to coat evenly. Garnish with berries.
I spent my last month trying to keep up with the USGS Grizzly Bear crazies, so I'm still in an equally crazed metabolic state. This means that if any of you are out there to witness this phoenix of a blog rising from the ashes, I'll continue to post incredibly unhealthy recipes until my eating needs return to normal.
